Watch a family’s rise and fall over the course of 20 years… in a single shot.

Watch a family’s rise and fall over the course of 20 years… in a single shot.

Director Sil van der Woerd follows the ups and downs of one family’s life over the course of 20 years — all compressed into one impressive shot.

Set within one home, a family comes together and then is pulled apart by conflict, neglect and time over two decades. The home’s decor, weather and seasons all change as the family circles through several events and emotions that test their connection.

Van der Woerd used complex camera rigs to meld together different shots into a seamless, elegantly fluid whole — all while dealing with a large cast of actors portraying the family over time.

The director’s craftsmanship and acumen are all readily apparent, used in service to a larger, emotionally resonant story. By keeping the space of the film unified while compressing the years the family journeys through together, “Growth” ably captures how time can both salvage and ravage relationships, revealing how emotions can imperceptibly build and warp under the surface until they’re impossible to ignore.